Hopper-car-door latch



J. J. TATUM HOPPER CAR DOOR LATCH Filed March 21.. 1923 Patented (Jet. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOHN J. 'IA'IUM, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

I-IOLPPERCAR-DOOR LATCH.

Application filed March 21, 1923.

My invention has to do with railway cars of the hopper and drop bottom type, and its particular object to provide an improvement in door securing mechanism.

Among the objects of my invention are To provide a latch for the doors of hopper cars which shall be simple, cheap, eifeotive and capable of formation without the use of expensive tools.

To provide a latch for use with hopper car doors which shall not only serve the purpose of a latch but which shall be also capable of use as a handle or lever in closing the door.

To provide a latch for hopper car door and a cooperating member therefore so arranged that the door may be held in a partially closed position, thus obviating the necessity for closing the door in one movement, which at times is very difficult to To provide a latch for a hopper car door and a cooperating member therefor so constructed and arranged that the latch and cooperating member may be effectively sealed together, thereby preventing the opening of the door by unauthorized persons.

These and further objects of my invention will become apparent in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the means by which said objects are effectuated will be definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings v Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a hopper car showing the hopper and the door therefore.

Fig. 2 is a View of some of the parts shown in Fig. 1 when looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in said figure.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the handle of my improved latch.

In the drawings 5 represents the hopper of a car which is closed by the door 6, the latter being hinged as at 7 to the floor of the car. The latch 8 is pivoted as at 9 upon the door 6 and extends beyond the side of the hopper 5 terminating in the handle 10. The handle 10 may be shaped as shown at 10 in Fig. 3.

The latch 8 slides freely in the latch guard 11 which is secured to the door 6 and a latch door 12 pivoted as at 13 upon the Serial No. 626,514.

door 6 serves to hold the handle 10 against the bottom of the guard 11.

A keeper hook 14 is secured to the side of the hopper 5 and said hook is provided with a lock notch 15 located in such a position that when the latch 8 is therein, the door 6 will be secured against the edges of the hopper 5.

The hook 1 1 is also provided with a rest notch 16 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The keeper hook 14 has thereupon an ear 1? provided with a hole for the passage therethrough of the sealing wire 18 which also passes through a hole in the handle 10. The ends of the sealing wire 18 are to be joined together bythe seal 19 in any usual or approved manner.

The operation of my improved latch is as follows If the door 6 is closed as shown in the figures and the sealing wire 18 is in place, it is evident that the door 6 cannot be opened. To open the door 6, the sealing wire is first cut and said wire is removed from the latch 8 and car 17. The handle 10 is then to be lifted until the latch 8 is out of the lock notch 15 and then the door 6 can be opened partially and the latch 8 dropped in the rest notch 16 if it is desired to deliver the material on the interior of the hopper at a slow rate of speed, or if it is desired to make a quick dump, the latch 8 is lifted from the notch 16 and the door 6 allowed to swing wide open.

When it is desired to close the door, the operator grasps the handle 10 and moves the door 6 in a counterclockwise direction, (seeFig. 1), and as said door approaches the edges of the hopper 5, the operator may obtain a rest by dropping the latch 8 into the rest notch 16 and afterwards complete the closure of the door 6 by moving the latch 8 to the lock notch 15.

I have shown my improved latch as aptures shown and described, for changes may said latch being provided with holes which be made therein Without departing from the register When said door is in the closed posispirit of my invention. tion, and a sealing wire passing through I claiinz-. said holes.

In a hopper car, the combination of a In testimony whereof, I afiix my signahopper, a keeper hook comprising an ear ture. secured to said hopper, a door for said hopper, a latch on said door, said ear and JOHN J. TATUM. 

